


A Million Beginnings

by katayla



Category: Cougar Town
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2012-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 04:04:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/605621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katayla/pseuds/katayla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Travis and Laurie spend time together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Million Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tornyourdress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tornyourdress/gifts).



Laurie is the one who ends it with Wade. It was too hard with him so far away. She was almost 30 and she wasn't sure she wanted to settle down, but she wanted at least the possibility of settling down and she didn't see that happening with Wade. She loved him for his commitment to the army, but she wanted someone to choose her and he wasn't ever going to do that.

"Am I just an awful, selfish person?" Laurie asked.

"Of course not," Travis pulled her closer to him.

"I shouldn't be talking to you about this," Laurie said.

"I came over here, remember?"

He had. He'd knocked on her apartment door and he’d asked her what was wrong and it had all come spilling out. But she hadn't had to tell him. She tried so hard not to be unfair to him, but she kept finding herself alone with him and confiding to him.

"I want . . . " Laurie said. And sighed. What _did_ she want? She wanted to be a better person. She wanted to be happy. She didn't want to hurt Travis.

Travis kissed her on the top of her head. "It's going to be okay."

~

"So are you going to study all night?" Laurie asked. She peered into Travis's fridge and frowned. "And do you have anything good to eat?"

"Yes," Travis said. "This is my last college requirement. If I pass this, it's all photography from here on out. And why don't you check your own apartment for food?"

Laurie sat next to him on the couch. "I'm bored."

Travis held up his math book. "Me too."

Laurie snatched it out of his hand. "So let's go out!"

Travis grabbed the book back. "I can't."

"You know," Laurie said. She moved so she sat cross-legged and facing him. "I'm actually pretty good at math."

"Well, I'm sure that will come in handy when you have to pass a math class to pursue your dream."

“No.” Laurie laughed. "I mean, I can help you study."

Travis looked at her. "Really help or Laurie help?"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been distracting me all night." Travis nudged her knee with his hips.

Laurie leaned closer to him and took his hand. "Really help."

Travis turned, so they were face-to-face. "Okay, Ms. Laurie Keller. What can you teach me about math?"

"Well." She traced a pattern on his leg. "One plus one is two."

"I know that one," Travis said. Their lips were inches apart. "What else?"

Laurie stared at his lips. He was single. She was single. They were both adults. And . . . 

She let go of his hand and stood up. "You're right. I'm not helping."

"But I like this kind of not helping."

"I'm going to go," Laurie said. "And you're going to study."

"Laurie."

"Study, Travis," she said softly and let herself out of the apartment.

~

"I passed my test," Travis said. He sat down next to Laurie at the bar.

Laurie squealed and threw her arms around him.

Grayson raised an eyebrow at her and poured Travis a drink. "Congrats, man."

"Thanks!"

"Soooo," Laurie said, after Grayson turned away. "How do you want to celebrate?"

Travis laughed his nervous laugh, a high pitched sound that she knew he hated. "Laurie, what are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything." She took her drink off the counter, took a sip and watched him.

He didn't look at her. Just took sips of his own drink and stared out into the distance.

"You are," he finally said.

"Travis." She knew she was whining.

Now he turned to look at her. "Do you mean it, Laurie?"

"Mean what?" She touched his foot with hers and smiled at him.

"Laurie."

She let herself drift closer to him. "What?"

"I don't want to just play anymore."

Now it was her turn to laugh nervously. She pulled back. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

His gaze on her was a physical sensation. She could feel it on every inch of her body. So she stared back and waited for him to look away.

But he didn't.

Laurie felt her cheeks grow hot. Her dating choices used to be so terrible. Maybe they still were. Guys who didn't love her back. Who didn't stick around. She didn't want Travis to be another bad decision. And she didn't want to lose the Cul de Sac Crew. If she hurt Travis, she wouldn't just be single, she'd be alone in the world.

"I don't know if I can, Trav."

"Laurie."

She waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. And so her name hung between them, like a promise of everything she could have.

~

Laurie's first instinct was to avoid everyone. But she saw Jules every day at work and, when she'd missed two mornings in a row, the entire Cul de Sac Crew showed up at her door.

"I'm hungry," Bobby said.

"Is it any use hoping you have decent coffee?" Ellie asked. "Some of us actually have taste."

"I . . . ." Laurie wrapped her bathrobe around herself, as Jules headed into the kitchen and began filling her coffee pot.

Andy tossed a bag of bread and two eggs at Bobby. "Here, french toast!"

Bobby barely managed to snatch the second egg out of the air. "I'm not cooking! Here, Gray-man!"

The eggs smashed against Grayson's chest, followed by the bread.

"Not cool!" Grayson said.

"I need breakfast," Bobby said.

"What's going on?" Laurie asked.

"Uh, it's morning," Jules said. "Bylaws of the Cul de Sac Crew says you're required to show up at my house. Since you didn't, we came here."

"There are no bylaws," Laurie said.

"Oooh, there should be!" Andy said. He hoisted himself onto the counter. "We should elect a president!"

"Not you," Ellie said.

Laurie sunk down on her couch and watched them. Grayson started cooking breakfast, while Andy and Bobby started debating Cul de Sac Crew rules and Jules and Ellie shot their ideas down.

Travis sat down next to her.

"What's going on?" Laurie said.

"You think you can escape the Cul de Sac Crew?" Travis nudged her shoulder with his.

Laurie smiled. "I guess not."

"Everyone cares about you, Laurie. No matter what."

"What is this crap?" Ellie yelled from the kitchen. "This isn't coffee!"

Laurie put her head on Travis's shoulder. "No more playing?"

"I'm ready if you are."


End file.
